Nurses call off strike in Delta’s public hospitals

January 4, 2017

Nurses working under the Delta state Hospitals Management Board (HMB) have called off the strike they embarked upon on Dec. 23, 2016 The Public Relations Officer, Delta state Ministry of Health, Mr. Ojebo Donald, in a statement issued in Asaba on Tuesday said the industrial action was suspended on Friday, Dec. 30, 2016.

Donald said that full nursing services had since commenced in all the public hospitals across the state. “The Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Health, Dr Minnie Oseji confirmed the resumption of work by the nurses during her visit to the General Hospital, Okwe, near Asaba on Jan. 2, 2017. “She also visited the General Hospital, Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area where the nurses were seen going about their normal duties”, he said. Donald said that the industrial action was suspended following the intervention of some prominent Deltans.

They prevailed on the association to make some commitments as regards the demands of the nurses. He named the prominent personalities to include Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Azinge and Head of Service, Mr Reginald Bayoko. Others were the Permanent Secretary in the ministry as well as the State Auditor General and Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour Relations, Comrade Mike Okeme.

According to him, Oseji had assured the nurses that the state government would continue to explore all avenues in ensuring a peace in the government hospitals. Donald said that the permanent secretary also implored them to cooperate with government to achieve effective and efficient delivery of health care services to the people in the state. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), gathered that the strike was embarked upon after negotiations between state chapter of National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives and the state government broke down.

The association demanded implementation of the panel’s report on the nurses/workers of Eku Baptist Hospital, Eku. The nurses also want implementation of promotion of members carried out by the Board from CONNHESS 14 to 15 and payment of salary arrears. The association expressed displeasure over the failure of the government to address shortage of nurses in public health facilities across the state.